Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, 911 Designer, Dead At 76

Ferry Porsche's oldest son and designer of the 911, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, has died at age 76. The news from Porsche today comes as the brand celebrates the U.S. debut of the Boxster and the Cayenne Diesel, leaving the home office saddened. "We mourn the death of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. As creator of the Porsche 911 he founded a design company in our culture that shapes our sports cars today. His philosophy of good design is for us a legacy that we will continue to do with honor," the company stated in a release today. Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, nicknamed Butzi, the son of Ferry Porsche and grandson of founder Ferdinand Porsche, spent his life amongst automobiles, especially those that bore his family name. His father designed the 356, the first of the truly iconic, timeless Porsches, while Ferdinand Alexander's pen issued the 911 into history. F.A. Porsche also founded the Porsche Design Studio in Stuttgart, releasing Porsche Design non-automotive merchandise to the world, expanding his family's name brand further. Most recently, F.A. Porsche had served as supervisory board chairman, handing over his role to his son, Ferdinand Oliver Porsche in 2005.